insolvency
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of insolvency
First recorded in 1650–60; insolv(ent) + -ency
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How does insolvency compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Insolvency is when someone is completely out of money. A company's insolvency means that it isn't able to pay its workers and may have to go out of business. A family's insolvency is a frightening thing — it might result in the loss of their home, for example, since they can't afford to pay their bills. The noun insolvency is more often used to describe the financial troubles of a business or other organization. If your tennis club faces insolvency, it may need to seek help from investors or close altogether. The adjective insolvent means "unable to pay one's debts," combining the roots in, "not," and solventem, "paying."
Vocabulary lists containing insolvency
Jane Eyre
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The Princess Bride
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Vocabulary from the Twelfth Republican Debate, March 10, 2016
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Now with life expectancy near 80 and many Americans living even longer than that, the program is veering toward insolvency.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
One positive lesson of “super” is that pension systems in which the private sector plays an ever-growing role can help address the threat of insolvency confronting U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
However, following financial collapse in 2019, British Steel was taken over by the government's insolvency service.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
The program’s trust find, which was on the brink of insolvency, is now expected to last until 2034.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026
“Impossible!—when I told you how she, on the contrary, deserted me: the idea of my insolvency cooled, or rather extinguished, her flame in a moment.”
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
